Stealing Her Heart
by Aluriel
Summary: To pick a lock, to pick a pocket, to steal a trinket, all require great skill. It is an art-form. Thieving was all she knew. She had survived that way, and by hardening her heart. But what about when she unexpectedly crosses paths with a certain band of dwarves, and one steals it away? Stealing a heart is another art altogether. Request from DarknessMakesMeSmile. Rating will go up
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: SO OH MY GOSH! I FINALLY got this new story out. I was having extreme technical difficulties for a while :( BUT IT IS ALL BETTER!**

**Anywho, this story was a request from a very very dear friend DarknessMakesMeSmile! DEDICATED TO YOU, LOVELY!**

**Thank you all for being so patient on the wait for it! I love you guys!**

**As for the next chapter for To Love a King, it should be out tomorrow. I had to rewrite the latest ones from having lost them when I did a restore. (All of my files are backed up now) SO! I worked hard on this one, and I have been up since 11:30 at night yesterday, and that is 24 hours, so I am sleepy. TO LOVE A KING WILL BE OUT! 8D I hope you guys are as excited as me for the updates!**

**Much love, and remember, REVIEWS ARE MY FUEL! May you all have happy rainbows!**

* * *

"Your boasting will get you into trouble, girl." Said the elderly inn-keep who laid yet another ale before her on the table. She laughed heartily, her body warm and lips loose from a bit too much of the drink.

"And why shouldn't I boast, old man?" The woman's warm brown gaze glowing with mischief and amusement flicked to his own. When he did not answer, her lips pulled into a predatory smile, and she glanced back at her companion across the table. "You see, Rian? He tells me not to boast, yet even he cannot deny my skill!" She tossed her head back, hearty laughter bursting from her throat. Rian cocked a brow and shook his head silently, bringing his mug of ale to his lips. He had met this woman quite by chance; a chance that had left both of their pockets brimming with coin. But that was years ago, when he'd had less grey in his hair and she had been more cautious.

_Time is a funny thing._ Rian mused over his mug as he watched his partner of many years leap suddenly from the bench and grab a passerby's arm, swinging the stunned man into a drunken dance. Her mirth was infectious, and the man began to smile and laugh along with her as they spun 'round the tavern. Many of the patrons had begun to clap along with the pair's drunken steps, Rian included. As they passed the table again, his eyes caught on one lone man in the darkened corner. He was clothed in a tattered grey robe, very much worse for wear and appeared to be smoking a long pipe. From the glow, Rian could see his darkened eyes fixed firmly on his partner. She went twirling by again, her copper hair flying wildly about her, and he was momentarily distracted. When he looked back to the corner, the man was gone.

"Laela." Only her name, yet it seemed to hold a dark warning. She barely heard it above the lively noise of the inn, but she finally met his gaze which was suddenly grim. He set his mug upon the table and rose silently, wordlessly commanding her to follow. She huffed and released her dancing companion, the man so dizzy that he went crashing into a stool. She paid him no more mind, a scowl upon her freckled face. Rian always ruined her fun. She trudged out of the tavern, unaware of the second pair of eyes following her out of the door. Rian had his back to her, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at something in the distance.

"What do you want?" Laela whined and stomped her foot, much like a petulant child. He rolled his eyes to the sky and closed them for a moment, trying to find his patience. Laela was a terror when drunk, and he did not wish to push her past her breaking point. He turned to her and settled his tired amber eyes on one of her freckles. It would be easier if he did not look her in the eye. Running a hand through his disheveled hair streaked with grey, he opened his mouth.

"Laela, if you keep on like this, you are going to get yourself into something you won't be able to talk your way out of." She snorted and tossed her head. He stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder gently. "I am serious. Your boasting is going to get us both in trouble." Rian paused and took a breath. "You must use caution." Her eyes were fixed on his face, and it actually seemed as if she were taking in his words, but he quickly dismissed that thought as her mouth broke out into a wide smile and she shrugged his hand off.

"Oh please. I will say what I wish! No one can catch me." She laughed and turned to go back into the tavern, tossing one last look at him over her shoulder. She winked. "I am the best there is. You worry too much." And then she disappeared behind the door. Rian could not help but remember the strange man who had been watching her, and he grew worried. He gave a resigned sigh and followed her back inside. He was not about to let her get into trouble. He would keep an eye on her; he always had.

* * *

Laela's head lolled back on the top of the worn wooden table. It was near dawn, and she still had not slept. Rian, however, was hunched over the table, his cheek flat against the surface. He was snoring obnoxiously loud, an unsightly puddle of drool collecting by the corner of his open mouth. Her head was already beginning to ache from the amount of ale she had foolishly imbibed. Rian mumbled something in his sleep, and the innkeep who was still waiting for them to retire to their rooms, shook his head. He looked exhausted and annoyed. Laela was definitely feeling the latter as well. When he huffed again, she rolled her eyes and rose.

"If you would be so kind as to help my companion to his room, I am sure he would be much obliged." She shot a burning glare in his direction, causing him to swallow and nod mutely. "Good then." She snapped, then turned to the doors. "I am going for a walk. I suggest you not be within my sight when I return." She was not usually _quite_ that rude when speaking with people -although she was never particularly kind- but her head was pounding, and she was seeing spots. She thought some fresh air would do her a world of good.

She stepped out of the doors only to slip in a fresh pile of mud. She caught herself on the frame, just barely. "When did it rain?" She muttered under her breath. Stepping carefully over the slick mud, she turned her head to the sky, taking in the muted light of the stars and moon through the clouds.

"Perhaps you were enjoying your drink far too much to take notice of the shower." The deep voice, definitely male, came from behind her and she felt the pinprick of a dagger at the small of her back. She closed her eyes in annoyance. She had not even heard his approach. "And perhaps that was what I intended?" Laela's eyes snapped open in shock.

"You can hear my thoughts." It was more of a statement than a question. She turned her head minutely to the side to try catching a glimpse of his face. The wind suddenly shifted, taking the clouds away on the currents. The bright light of the moon was immediately shining down upon them, and before he could hide himself in the folds of his cloak, she saw what appeared to be vicious burns across his face. He quickly concealed himself in his hood. He shoved her forward as he took a hold of her hair, causing her to stumble. She stood fast, causing him to press the dagger more pointedly into her back.

"Walk." He growled, and she reluctantly obeyed. She tried her best to keep her mind veiled, her thoughts hidden. It seemed to work, or perhaps he simply did not feel like conversation. That seemed more likely.

"Where are we going?" She asked cautiously as they walked through the shoddy wooden gates. He grunted, but otherwise said nothing. She huffed, her headache growing worse by the moment until it was nearly unbearable. So much for never being caught. She knew she was in serious trouble.

He pushed her into a copse of trees and she tried her hardest not to stumble as she felt the dagger digging farther into her back, sending a sharp pain lancing up her spine. Her night was _not_ going well, and she could feel that it was about to get worse. He stopped so suddenly in a barren clearing, that her hair was very nearly torn from her scalp. She winced. He removed his dagger from its place at her back. She could feel the stickiness of the blood as she spun on him, intending to inflict a blow, even a minor one so that she could make her escape. But he was fast, _inhumanly_ fast. Before she knew what had happened she was on her stomach, the breath knocked from her body. The jolting pain came moments later and she sucked in a sharp breath, the taste of dirt filling her mouth.

"You are a fool, girl." The man leaned down and yanked her hair, forcing her to look up at him. He snarled, revealing two sharp teeth where his much duller canines should have been set in a scarred and deformed face. There was no semblance of a man there any longer, if he had ever been one. Her eyes widened in horror. What was this… this monster? He laughed bitterly, the sound grating on her ears in an unpleasant way. "Monster, yes, fitting that." He released her hair, her head dropping onto the ground with a thud. She did not feel the pain, she could no longer even hold her head. She had never felt terror like this in her life. She knew she was going to die here, in this clearing with no one to hear her, with no one who would look for her. Would Rian? She shuddered involuntarily as gruesome images of her death flashed through her mind.

She was frozen.

The man… monster threw off his hood, the moonlight illuminating his deformed face, distorting it in a terrifying way. Laela tried to push herself to a sitting position at the very least. She refused to die with her face in the dirt. She lifted her chin in defiance, albeit with a slight tremor. She hoped he did not see it. The clouds covered the moon once more, and she could see one of his eyes glowing blood-red in the darkness. _Like an animal._ The thought went through her mind before she could stop it.

"Oh, but I am an animal, my dear." He paused for effect, "And I am hungry." That eerie eye would not move from her form and she tried her best not to tremble. She was reckless, sure, but even those who charge headlong into danger know when to be truly frightened. He seemed amused at her determination to appear defiant before him. "Do you truly think that will help you? You think I cannot see the tremor in your limbs, the tremble of your lips as you try to intimidate me?" He laughed again. "Lucky for you, girlie, you are not to be my snack on this night."

"Then what am I to be?" She snapped, her terror fading infinitesimally in the light of this new confession. This seemed to amuse him more.

"You are an asset to me." He stated simply, then turned from her as his body was wracked with a coughing fit. She rose shakily to her feet, her hands clenched at her sides. She knew better than to run; she would never escape this creature.

"How am I an asset to one such as… _you?_" She spat. He began to laugh, great booming laughter as if she were the most amusing thing he had ever met. She lowered her eyebrows in confusion. The sudden silence was so abrupt, she wondered just what he was playing at. "What do you want?" She finally screeched at him after the extended silence became deafening. He turned to her slowly, a predatory glint in his eyes.

"You claim to be the greatest thief in all of Middle-Earth," He began, his red eye fixed on her face. "For your sake, I hope it is the truth." He sneered at her.

"Of course it is not the truth!" She yelled, starting to panic once again. "I had too much to drink. I would never claim to be such had I been sober!" He took a menacing step forward, and her eyes instinctively scanned the darkened trees, searching for her most likely route of escape.

There was none. Well, none where she could get away from _him._ He took another step. Laela had to remind herself to breathe. _He said you are an asset. Don't panic._ Desperation was creeping in, her thoughts tinged with anything she could find to soothe herself. She inhaled sharply as he took yet another step, coming slowly, agonizingly closer. She could see the dark intent in his one good eye. Before he took another step, almost upon her, she held her hands out in front of her in a desperate attempt to halt his movements.

"Wait!" She cried out, her eyes squeezed shut as she awaited what she was sure would be a painful demise. The movement had ceased. She peeked through her lashes to find him staring at her with a demented grin. She swallowed hard as she scrambled for something to say. The longer she panicked, the larger his smile became.

"I, uh, I am the best. Anything you need stolen, I can get it." She spoke, her voice wavering slightly. She had chosen her words carefully in the precious time he had allowed her.

"I certainly hope so, for your sake." She could hear the sneer in his voice, but he was giving her a chance, a chance for life. She looked at him fully, suddenly gaining a small bit of confidence. She lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. She may have been powerless against him, and she accepted that, but she'd be damned if she went down without leaping at the opportunity he had given her.

"I have stolen into treasuries of kings, walked the dark places of the world and learned to cloak myself with it. You will find no one more able than I." She _did_ have faith in her abilities, but she was sure he would not have her breaking into a royal treasure room. No, she knew he had something bigger planned.

Perhaps something that would claim her life regardless.

She made the decision then to run as soon as she got the chance, carefully veiling that thought from the creature before her. His hand was around her neck in an instant, inhumanly long fingernails digging into her flesh. He leaned in close, his face a whisper away from her own. When he spoke, she nearly retched at the smell of his breath. It was cold against her face, the hand around her neck like ice. He radiated cold, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

_Nothing living can be this cold._ She thought to herself as she tried to focus on his words. She vaguely registered something about dragonfire and a curse.

"And I need you to get this for me. Is that clear?" He growled into her ear, causing her to shiver again. She simply nodded mutely, willing to do anything to get away from the bone-chilling cold that emanated from him. She barely noticed his leathery hand around her neck anymore. He released her and she fell in a shivering pile of green cotton and tangled limbs. It seemed to be exactly the reaction he wanted. He lowered himself to his knees next to her, pulling her face toward him.

"And to make sure you keep up your end of the bargain, I will be bestowing my curse upon you." His eye grew so dark that it blended with the night, his sharp teeth extending into deadly fangs. She tried to crawl away, but her body was numb and she watched in terror, unable to utter even a scream until he was upon her, his fangs tearing into the sensitive flesh at her throat. It was as if the spell was broken. Her body exploded with burning pain, and the scream torn from her throat was one of pure agony that no mortal should have to experience. Her throat bled, the hot metallic taste pooling in her mouth. She could distantly hear the monster laughing.

_What did you do to me?_ She could not speak, but he heard her as if she had screamed.

_Made sure you won't escape should you choose not to fulfill your end of the bargain._ His voice was loud in her mind. Her head began to pound next until she saw black spots dancing in her vision. The spots grew larger until they were filling her sight, then she was gone. Before she lost all sense and memory, she swore she felt her heart stop.

* * *

_Laela…_

Funny, that sounded like Rian. But, it couldn't be Rian, she thought, because she was dead. She felt herself die.

_Laela!_

Louder that time, anxious.

"Laela!" He was shouting, shaking her desperately.

"_Ow_." She moaned pitifully and he backed off immediately. She sat up slowly, putting a hand to her forehead as she tried to ease the pounding. She looked up to see two Rians staring at her with worry. "Rian?" She mumbled and blinked a few times to clear her vision. "What...? But, I'm dead." She was confused, her mind muddled with strange thoughts and memories that did not seem to belong to her.

"Damn you, Laela!" Rian yelled at her, clenching at his hair, his knuckles white with the hold. He released it and grabbed her shoulders. She noticed then that she was covered in blood. "What is this? What happened?" He was frantic and she pulled one of his hands from her gently. He yanked it back as if she had burned him. "Y-you're so cold." He whispered, rubbing the skin on his hand, now pink from being exposed to the chill. She held her hand in front of her face, dread creeping into her mind. Everything came crashing back at once, her thoughts swimming with dark images and memories of the previous night.

_No…_ She couldn't be… She wasn't like him!

The most tantalizing scent that she had ever come across assailed her nostrils, and in response her throat burned with thirst. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked back at Rian. Her gaze traveled to his throat, where the blood was pumping sure and strong. She wanted to be disgusted, but she couldn't no matter how hard she tried.

"Rian, run." The words came out in a choked whisper, and she saw the hurt flash across his face before it seemed to register. She was not truly Laela anymore, and he could very suddenly sense the danger. "Run!" She screamed, and he took off through the trees. Laela rose shakily and forced herself in the opposite direction. She would not let the monster win.

She collapsed after some time, and then the gravelly laughter was next to her. The creature bent over, hideously deformed hands on his knees as he looked at her, a malicious smile on his face.

"What did you do to me?" She choked out to receive more laughter. She could smell him; he smelled of ice and death.

"I protected my interests. Should you fail me, I can track you." He leaned closer, clenching her chin in his hand. "We share a bond now, sweetling." She yanked her chin away and stumbled to her feet, falling back against a tree. She braced herself against it, the rough bark feeling very different beneath her fingers. It was as if every sense had been heightened. She spun on him, but he caught her arm easily.

"What do you want from me?" Her voice shook, not with fear, but with fury. He clucked his tongue and shook his head.

"Now, now. Is that any way to speak to your master?" She spat in his face, earning a stinging slap to her cheek. She gasped, the impact jarring her and sending her head into a whirl of pain. He leaned into her ear, his breath ghosting over it in a way that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"You will fetch me that staff, won't you sweetling?" He cackled at her side. When she looked up, he was gone, though she guessed not very far. What was that he said about a staff?

* * *

_This is it._ She thought to herself, eager at the chance to prove herself to the monster and win her freedom. The man with the staff approached. She could not see his face, the wide brim on his pointed blue hat blocking her view, but he appeared to be old.

_No problem._ She smiled to herself, strength renewed from a hare she had caught and feasted on a little while earlier. She couldn't let herself feel disgusted by it. The food she normally took great joy in no longer seemed appetizing in the least. It was her only option.

_Perhaps the old man wouldn't be so bad… No one would miss him._ She distantly felt horrified at the thought, but didn't dare to dwell on it. She would survive, no matter what it took.

The man in grey approached, and she crouched in the bushes, waiting for the opportune moment to spring her attack. Had she been able to see his face, she would have noticed the way the corner of his mouth pulled up in an amused half-smile, as if he knew what was to come. She sprang.

He knew.

An instant after she had launched herself, she was flying backwards into a tree. The breath was knocked out of her for a moment.

_Trees and I certainly are getting very acquainted lately._ She thought with mild amusement. She looked in the direction of the old man from her place hanging from a branch. Her dress had gotten caught and she was dangling helplessly.

_Come to think of it,_ she mused, _I have become very acquainted with troublesome situations of late as well._ She didn't find amusement in that. She stopped struggling as the man drew near. Somehow, she sensed he meant her no harm.

"Honest mistake!" She called to him, "I was sure you were the man who stole my precious walking stick!" She attempted a sweet smile, not suited to her plain face. Her mouth was far too wide and her freckles stood out all the more when she tried. The old man reached the tree and looked up at her.

"Or you found the right man and you aim to talk yourself out of an unpleasant situation?" He questioned her. She cleared her throat uncomfortably as her face flushed a startling shade of pink. She looked back down at him, surprised to find blue eyes twinkling merrily up at her from beneath bushy grey eyebrows which complimented his grey beard very nicely. She took in the sight of his clothing, all grey.

"Oh _no_." She groaned as she realized just what the monster had expected of her. He wanted her to steal the staff of _Gandalf the Grey._ She was so foolish. No one could steal from a wizard. But, perhaps he had hoped for that. Perhaps he had sent her to what he thought was certain death. He couldn't have known Gandalf had other plans. The wizard leaned against his staff as he watched the woman in the tree trying to extricate herself. She wriggled once more, then glared down at him, very much angered by the turn of events.

"You gonna help me down, or what?" She snapped. Gandalf chuckled and began to walk back to the path. "Hey! Where are you going?" She yelled after him. He turned, something knowing in his merry eyes. Was that mischief she saw lurking there?

"When you free yourself, you will find me again. After all, it is a necessity, is it not?" He smiled at the burning glare she pinned on him, then turned back and began to whistle a merry tune as he continued down the path.

_He is near._ It was the wizard's voice in her head. She shook herself a few more times, trying to get free.

_I can help you escape him._ Gandalf's voice again. She paused, the idea of freedom from the twisted maniac an irresistible notion.

_How?_ She was not sure if he would hear her thought. He answered her immediately, to her surprise.

_Not here. Bag-End, Hobbiton, a week's time._ The voice vanished and she was left struggling in the tree. She huffed in annoyance.

"Found yourself in quite the predicament." She instinctively flinched at the sound of that thing's voice. He had done this to her. He had killed her, he had brought her back as a monster as well. She thought on the wizard's words. Freedom. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and get me down so I can get your damn staff." She hissed. His hood was covering his face, but she imagined the disgusting smirk he would surely have at her temper. She was hating him more with every moment that passed, and losing herself at the same time.

When she was safely on the ground again, he murmured in her ear. "You had best not fail me again. There are far worse things than this fate." He turned away, leaving her gasping for air against the tree. She felt the pinpricks of tears at the corners of her eyes.

Freedom.

Freedom is at Bag-End.

She turned in the direction the wizard had gone and ran.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! Chapter two! Thank you to those who have already favorited and followed the story, even though there was only one chapter! That means a lot to me. Going to keep this brief, and move on to the thanks! :D**

**To MelissaMachine5000: That's right! Gandalf is not one to be trifled with ;D The reactions to her arrival will come in the next chapter, and about Rian, we shall see ;D Thank you for reviewing, and much love!**

**To DarknessMakesMeSmile: YAY! I am so glad you like it Heeheehee. Your wonderful will come very soon :D HEEHEE! Much love forever, dearie -hearts-**

**To The Penned Tekrid: I am so glad you like the different take of it! :D That means a lot. And I hope you didn't wait too long x3 Here you go lovely! Much love!**

**As always, reviews are my fuel and help me to get motivated and churn out chapters faster! So pretty please review! Mkay, MUCH LOVE AND PASTA FOR ALL!**

* * *

She did not stop running for many miles. In the corner of her vision she saw trees speeding past, the brief flashes of frightened animals darting back into the bushes, an occasional deer. She did not stop until she was forced to catch her breath, taking in her surroundings as she did so. She had stepped off of the road long ago for fear of coming across a traveler who may have mysteriously gone missing some time later. She did not want that.

She realized she was now very lost.

On the brighter side (If there was a brighter side when one had been turned into a blood sucking monster and had a crazed maniac stalking them who wanted a wizard's staff) she seemed to have lost said maniac somewhere behind her. She knew it wouldn't last long; he would catch up.

Come to think of it, she did not even know where this Hobbiton was. She had no idea what a hobbit was, having never come across one, and she did not know that was just one place in The Shire where they dwell. She groaned. She knew she would have to find a road, otherwise she would never find this blasted Bag-End.

Grumbling, she tramped through underbrush in the general direction her senses told her was to a river. Where there was water, there was usually a town in her experience. She was in very poor temper. Why did she have to be so arrogant? Why did she have to brag and make herself known to those who would wish her harm? She had been a fool, and she saw that now. Well, she knew it a long time ago, but refused to accept it. She would often refuse to accept the things she knew were most true about herself.

She sulked as she searched for anything; any sign of water. All things considering, she supposed she was taking the whole blood-sucking monster thing quite well. She always did have a knack for adapting to unusual situations. A talent of hers, unfortunately. She would much rather be screaming and rolling into a ball, never to rise again. She would rather have been dead, but she wasn't, and therefore she had tried to make the best of it that she could.

"Damn men and their desire for power." She muttered, assuming, naturally, that that was what had turned that maniac into what he was. She did not remember his words about a curse. She honestly didn't care. All she cared about was finding a way to become what she was before all of this mess.

She thought of Rian. He had been so like an older brother to her, always offering words of caution and advice (which she rarely followed.) She loved him as such, and as a very dear friend, and now because of her foolishness she may never see him again. His last memory of her would be her eyes filled with hunger as she looked at him. She shook her head to clear the thought. She could not dwell on negative things when there was possibly a cure right around the corner; an escape.

She was almost strangely glad the creature had wanted her to steal from a wizard. If he had not, she may never have learned about a way to escape him.

She stopped walking and crouched, picking up a damp leaf from the forest floor. She scowled and tossed it back as she realized it was from the rain and not carried here by some animal from a stream at all.

Strange that the rain would have come this far; she knew she was a fair distance from that village. A long way, even. She strained her ears for the sound of running water. Unless the rain had traveled so many miles to this place, there had to be water nearby. She grew hopeful.

She headed off to her left, where she was sure she could hear something. It sounded faintly, just faintly, like the trickling of water. It seemed as if she had been walking forever. She walked for hours, many miles in what she was sure was the direction, the trickling growing slightly louder the longer she trudged through the brush. Night was fast approaching, and she was growing tired. Strange for her; she loved the night and the darkness far more than she could say, but she supposed her journey from the day was wearing her down more than usual. It also may have had something to do with the fact that she had been transformed into this thing less than 48 hours before. Surely, that was it. That creature never seemed to tire, always pursuing her relentlessly. She did not want to stop and rest for fear that he would come upon her. She needed to keep moving, maybe reach the stream before dark.

It grew dark much more quickly than she had anticipated. She saw a faint glow through the trees, heard a slight crackling of what could only be a fire. She rushed in the direction of the heat, bursting through the trees into an occupied clearing next to none other than the river she had been so eagerly searching for. Once more, unfortunately for her, there was a very burly and quite frightening man bathing in the river. He was peculiar for a man though. His partly bald head was covered in tattoos of what seemed to be runes, and he had a curious beard. She saw him surveying her, as if assessing if she were any threat to him. He decided not and simply stepped out of the river.

It wasn't that Laela was unused to seeing nude males, but his unabashed behavior made her turn scarlet and spin on her heel, retreating back into the forest. She hadn't been close enough to discover that he was not a man at all, rather a dwarf.

"Oi, lass, where you headed?" His gruff voice followed her into the trees, and she remembered that she needed directions to this 'Hobbiton'. She spun back and took her previous path back into the clearing. He was smirking. Damn him. When she finally got close enough to discover his height deficiency, she raised her eyebrows. A dwarf in these parts?

"You're a dwarf!" She blurted out, and he roared with laughter.

"You never seen a dwarf before. lass?" He was still chuckling. "Where are you headed? You seem lost." He regained his composure and cleared his throat, sitting down by the fire and prodding it with a stick. She opened her mouth to protest quite loudly that she was not lost. Damn this dwarf and his assumptions. She decided to think better of it.

"Not in the same direction as you." She snapped and crossed her arms. He raised a bushy brow in mock amusement.

"That so? And just how is it you know where I'm headed?" He rose to his full height, barely to her shoulder and approached. She stood her ground, unimpressed by his little display of intimidation.

"Fine, where are you headed, then?" She asked, annoyance lacing her tone. He backed off at her lack of reaction to his attempt to scare her off. He had wanted to help at first, even if she was human, but now she was grating on his nerves. He hadn't even been with her for five whole minutes.

"Don't think that concerns you, lass. You'd best be off." He grunted and sat back down in front of his fire. She finally huffed and gave in, sitting across from him. He scowled.

"I am heading to Hobbiton. Bag-End to be precise." She added begrudgingly, "I'm lost." He smirked again and tossed her something from his pack. She caught it easily over the flames. It was a piece of crusty bread. Though she was hungry, it was definitely not for that. She tossed it back with a grimace.

"You call that food?" She asked with displeasure.

"I suggest you be grateful, girl. I am sharing both my fire and my food with you." He took a large bite out of his own crust of bread. "I can also help you get to Hobbiton." When he said nothing more, she glared at him.

"How?" She finally inquired, although not politely or gratefully like he had requested. He grunted again and took another bite. Rolling her eyes, she put mock politeness into her voice and batted her eyelashes.

"I would be ever so grateful, master dwarf, if you could give me directions to Hobbiton." He stopped chewing and looked at her curiously, then laughed again.

"Don't do that, lass. It doesn't suit you in the slightest." He was still roaring when she put her scowl back on her face. Damn dwarves. He finally stopped laughing again and looked her up and down. "What's your business at Bag-End?" He asked her, his eyes pinned to her face, his expression suddenly serious.

"Some wizard told me to meet him there. My reasons are my own." She snapped. This dwarf was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Are you a burglar?" He had taken another bite of his bread, though his tone was severe and unforgiving. She wasn't sure whether or not to lie.

"The best." She finally decided to say, and he pinned her with an assessing look.

"Don't look like much to me." He grumbled, and she wondered what had suddenly brought this change about. She flopped back onto the ground behind her, closing her eyes. She had little patience as it was, and this dwarf was seriously beginning to test her limits. Not to mention her self-control.

"Appearances aren't everything, you fool." She muttered under her breath. She was no beauty; she did not look strong or able-rather a little too plump- but she was the best. That was without question.

He grunted again. "I am on my way to Hobbiton myself. We stop at the Green Dragon in Bywater tomorrow." She bolted upright at this.

"You're letting me come with you?" She asked incredulously. The dwarf merely stared. "Oh, um, I'm Laela." She finally grumbled.

"Dwalin." Said he, none too pleased with himself for inviting this strange woman along on his journey. There was something… off about her. Something strange in her eyes; like a hunger. He didn't like it one bit. Gandalf would deal with her, he decided.

"I suggest you get some sleep, lass." He grumbled as he laid himself on the ground, his back to her. She could almost hear the blood moving through him. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden urge that rose within her. She would not give in, not now. Not when she was so close.

_Freedom_.

* * *

She was awoken by a large boot prodding her in her back.

"Oi, get your arse in gear, lass. We have a long way to go and I want to be at the inn by nightfall." He grunted and she rolled over, wincing as her back protested. Her throat was dry, too dry. She made her way over to the water, pooling some in her hand as she brought it to her lips. It was fresh and cold, but did nothing to slake her thirst. She knew what she needed, but she was not about to go looking for it.

_I am one step closer to getting out of this mess._

Dwalin was reorganizing his pack while he waited for her, then rose very suddenly, setting off as he followed the river. She was right, it seemed. Water leads to people.

She wondered just what the wizard was going to do to help her, if his power was truly that great. She did not know much of wizards, but from tales she had heard of Gandalf, he liked pipe-weed and fireworks. Didn't seem very imposing, and yet he had sent her flying into a tree. Perhaps he held more power than the tales told. She shook her head and tried to swallow, hoping to relieve the burning in her throat.

She jogged to catch up to the surly, burly dwarf in front of her. He ignored her, and she was forced to turn her attentions to _not_ focusing on her thirst. Of course, it made it that much worse. When she tried clearing her throat several times, Dwalin gave her a sideways glance. She knew he suspected there was more to her than it seemed. She cleared her throat once more and looked forward, completely ignoring him and all of his meager attempts at conversation. He gave up and walked silently, slightly ahead of her.

It didn't bother her. She was not good with anyone except Rian unless she was drunk. Staggeringly drunk. It was just how she felt more comfortable. She couldn't exactly be close to people in her profession. They continued on in silence for some time, until the sun was high in the sky and she could no longer stand his mumbling to himself.

"Do you have to do that?" She asked, stopping abruptly. He turned around.

"Do what?" He snapped. The human woman was continually grating on his nerves, and he could not wait to be rid of her. He had even _attempted_ to be friendly and start a conversation, and she had ignored his every try. Now she was complaining? And about what?

She gestured wildly with her hands. "Do… that! The muttering thing!" She hissed. He shot her a pointed glare, informing her that he was not about to put up with her rude behavior. She sighed. "I apologize… I have not had an easy few days." She muttered, hoping he wouldn't hear her. He didn't.

"Why are you headed to Bag-End?" She asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. It had been eating away at her for some time, but with no desire for conversation she had kept quiet.

"Don't think that's your business." He sounded genuinely agitated, and she suddenly realized that she must have been annoying him as much as he was annoying her. Yet he was staying with her, refusing to leave her behind. Did dwarves have some kind of 'honor code' or something?

"Is it not my business to know the business of those I travel with? Especially if our destination is the same?" She countered. He sent her an exasperated look.

"It is not your business to know the business of someone you hardly know." He shot back. She had no witty response that time. She was growing… tired. She felt almost… weak. Her throat burned in response to that thought. She needed… No. She was not going to succumb to that. She'd had a rabbit already a few short days ago, she would not stoop to anything else. She was very glad that the dwarf stank despite his bath the previous night. It made him less tempting.

They broke through the tree-line, finding rows of fields across the river. They had reached the edge of The Shire. Laela paused to look over the verdant fields, noticing small peoples working them.

"What are they?" She asked out loud and Dwalin turned her way, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. She had never seen a hobbit? Yet she had seen a dwarf?

"Those are hobbits." He told her, then looked her over again. "Surely you knew you were coming to The Shire, at least? Where all hobbits live? Hobbiton?" He was really shocked she had never heard of a hobbit before. He supposed they were very private people for the most part, never venturing far from The Shire if they did at all. "It will be a few hours walk to Bywater, there we will rest at The Green Dragon Inn." He noticed her shoulders slump slightly at that news. She had bags beneath her eyes, and appeared to be exhausted. He simply turned and continued on. If she wanted to get to Bag-End, she would keep up or find it herself. What was Gandalf thinking?

Laela groaned inwardly as she saw him turn. She was growing weaker by the moment. She did not know if she could last until Bywater if it was still hours away. She tried to keep up, but ended up lagging behind terribly until he finally looked back over his shoulder at her. She was far behind him on the path, struggling. He rolled his eyes and walked back to her, hauling her up by her waist. She was too tall for her to lean on him properly, but he was trying. The hobbits in the fields stared at them with confusion. Not often were there dwarves in those parts, but a dwarf trying to help a human down the path? Unheard of. One of the less timid hobbits came up to them with a pull-cart, offering it to the grumpy and very much irritated dwarf.

He grunted his thanks as he lowered the very near unconscious girl into the cart. Her legs hung over the edge of the cart so that her feet dragged along the ground. The hobbit blushed and gave mumbled apologies.

"Don't worry about it." Dwalin grumbled. Why he was helping this woman, he didn't understand. Perhaps he sensed, as Gandalf had, that she was needed; that she needed them. If he somehow knew that, he wasn't aware of it himself. He hauled up the handles of the cart angrily, nearly dumping her out of it. He was sure they would arrive at the Green Dragon much later than he had hoped.

_Damn women._ The thought rolled through his mind, and he couldn't have agreed more. Some burglar she was if she couldn't even stay awake long enough to do anything. His pace was slow as he tried to avoid the worst of the bumps on the road. He looked over his shoulder at her in the cart, and he nearly stopped short. Her face looked almost as if it was sinking in, her skin taking on a sickly grey color. He set his lips in a tight line, irritation furrowing his brow. Now the damn woman was sick? He sped up his pace, seeing the buildings of Bywater through the fields.

He arrived a short time later, earning many strange looks for the cart with the woman. He hauled her out and carried her as best he could, her feet dragging in the dirt again. One hobbit, seeing where they were headed, rushed to the door of the inn and opened it graciously. Dwalin ignored him.

"Two rooms." Dwalin demanded as he stepped into the lively little inn. The music and merriment stopped as all of the hobbits stared in wonderment. Dwalin cleared his throat as the hobbit lass behind the counter still didn't move. She squeaked and led Dwalin to a room very near the door.

"She can rest here." She very nearly whispered, her timidity in the presence of the dwarf coming through. "It is our largest bed." She squeaked again, and Dwalin shuffled into the room, dumping the woman unceremoniously on the bed. He decided he would leave her here come morning.

"And my room?" The hobbit girl squeaked again and led him down the hall.

* * *

Laela awoke in the night, her head pounding and vision blurred. She wasn't sure where she was or how she had gotten there. Her throat burned, and she almost screamed from the pain, but no sound would come. Her teeth ached painfully. Reaching up to touch them, she found that they were fully extended; monstrous. She tried to rise; to do anything to get out of what she was sure was an inn filled with people. She succeeded in falling off of the bed, sending little hobbit feet scuttling toward her door.

_Please. Please, no._ She closed her eyes, knowing the inevitable was about to happen if that hobbit walked in. She did. She was short and plump, golden curls atop her head, a sweet worried face looking down at Laela.

_Please. You have to leave._ She couldn't force the thought to travel to her lips. The hobbit girl stepped closer.

"Are you alright?" She asked timidly.

Laela sprang. The hobbit didn't even have time to scream.

* * *

Hours later, just as the first light of dawn was creeping in her window, Laela looked back to the ravaged body of the sweet little hobbit that she had brutally murdered. She had cried every tear she had to shed over the ordeal -and she _never_ cried. She had tried so hard to fight whatever this instinct was rising inside of her, but she had failed in the end. She had failed with a beautiful young hobbit who had her whole future ahead of her. She wondered if she had a husband, children, a family. She had torn her away from everything. She was truly a monster now.

She had to leave.

She had cleaned the blood from the floor a long while ago, and she shoved the body beneath the bed. She made a makeshift dress from the curtains, disposing of her own bloody one beneath the bed as well. She took the coin pouch off of the body, feeling one last pang of guilt at stealing from the dead… someone she had killed herself. Perhaps she could find a clothing shop. She was not expected by Gandalf for two more days.

She opened the door to her room silently, walking on practiced, stealthy feet to the doors of the inn. She slipped outside without a single noise.

As she walked down the path, she saw a small sign with an arrow that said "Hobbiton - Miles."

The numbers were faded so that she could not read them, but she went in the direction the sign pointed. If she was lucky, she may yet get there before noon. She was sure she had miscounted the days. Perhaps it was this night Gandalf was expecting her. Things were blurring together in her mind. She could feel herself slipping away. She needed to preserve her memories.

_I need Gandalf._ She screamed the thought in her mind. She wondered, not for the last time, what he would do to bring her back to herself.

_"I have been cursed, girl. I need the wizard's staff." He had pointed to his deformed face, fury writ clear upon it. "Dragonfire can make a man pledge to the darkest and foulest agreements to stop the pain." He looked at her with his only visible eye, glowing fire-red. "I will not remain cursed. You shall if you fail me."_

The obscure memory came to life in her mind, and she suddenly thought of when he had held her against the tree. He had been speaking, but she was too terrified to understand or to listen. Apparently, her mind had grasped it well enough despite that.

"A curse…" She mumbled to herself, going back over all of the times her mother had looked for remedies to such things when she was a child. She had never heard of a curse such as this, however. If her mother hadn't disappeared, she would have sought her out first.

She remembered the man who came to their house the night before she vanished. She tried to remember his voice, but it was foggy and she lost it and the memory. The villagers had often called her a witch; and with her constant search of strange ingredients and the smells of what she cooked late into the night, perhaps it had been true.

What if…

No.

No, it couldn't have been.

She shook the thought away as she approached rolling green hills. The closer she grew, the more she thought she saw… doors? Doors in the hills? The world sure was full of strange things. She saw a hobbit in a little garden outside one of the curious little hill-homes, and a pang went through her heart as she remembered the little hobbit woman from the inn. She frowned, but approached. He stared at her oddly in her curtain-dress.

"Excuse me, Bag-End?" She asked as politely as she was able. It still came out slightly snappish despite her best efforts. He grumbled and pointed to a path going up a large hill. At the top stood the largest hill-home in what seemed like the entirety of Hobbiton. It had a small , round green door with a knob right in the center. She shook her head slightly and began to walk up.

When she reached it, she bent over to knock on the door, with no answer. An elderly hobbit woman wandered by and saw her staring angrily at the door.

"Mister Baggins is out at market, miss." She said, then began to walk away humming a sweet tune. Laela groaned. She had to wait even longer? And who was Mister Baggins? She thought she was coming to see Gandalf. She looked around and noticed a short fence with a lush field right across the path. She stepped over it and sat in the fragrant grass, watching the inhabitants of Hobbiton go about their day.

* * *

She was not entirely sure when she fell asleep, but she awoke to merry laughter coming up the hill. She could make out two dwarves, one with hair of yellow, and the other with much darker locks.

_More dwarves?_ She thought sourly. She only wanted to see Gandalf, not more of these annoying creatures. She frowned even deeper when she saw them approach the green door. Rising from her hiding place in the grass, she stepped over the fence and approached them from behind.

"Let me guess," She started, causing them to jump slightly just before ringing the bell. "You are here to see Mister Baggins as well?" They turned to her, looking up at her tall frame, then to each other. They simply nodded, mouths agape. One would think they had never seen a human before. They both looked as if they were about to bow to her. She grabbed the tops of their heads before they could, and turned them toward to door.

"Save it." She muttered and crossed her arms as the boys exchanged another strange look. They cleared their throats then pulled the bell twice. A very disgruntled and disheveled hobbit opened the door. His mouth fell open for a few short moments as he saw the two dwarves and woman on his step.

"Fili." Said the blonde.

"And Kili," The brunette, then they both bowed in unison and said jovially, "At your service!" The hobbit looked at her for a moment. She kept her arms crossed.

"Laela." She hrrmphed and shifted her position.

"You must be Mister Boggins!" Kili's mouth broke out into a wide smile and the hobbit tried to shut the door on them.

"What? Has it been cancelled?" Kili asked frantically and shoved his boot in the door. Fili gave the hobbit a once-over, a frown on his face.

"No one told us." He said, and the hobbit opened and closed his mouth several times before stating,

"No, nothing's been _cancelled!_" He looked to say something more, but Laela pushed past both of the dwarves and hobbit, ducking into the door. Bilbo spluttered and tried to keep them out, but she dwarfed the fellow and he had no luck getting her to leave. She walked down the hall as Fili tossed his weapons into the hobbit's arms.

"You?" She heard a familiar voice, and turned to find none other than Dwalin glaring at her with his arms crossed. She smirked.

"Yes, me. Problem?" She asked innocently and he growled. She was sure someone had found the hobbit girl and he had been blamed. _That_ she didn't mind. An old white-haired dwarf saw the tension of the situation and summoned Dwalin and the two much younger dwarves into the dining room to move some kind of china hutch.

Laela grumbled and crossed her arms, sitting down on a bench in the hall. She was across from a chest with mud scraped across the top, and she wondered what was inside, and if it was valuable.

There was another pull on the bell, and the hobbit was stomping and huffing down the hallway, saying something about clod-heads. She wasn't truly paying attention. There was a great commotion as a heap of dwarves piled in the hall, and she looked around the corner just in time to see Gandalf leaning down with a mischievous smile.

"Gandalf." The hobbit and Laela said at the same time, their eyes narrowing.


End file.
